CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Cross-reference is hereby made to copending and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 08/827,588 filed Mar. 28, 1997 by Charles R. Brewer, III, and entitled NON-OBTRUSIVE SHIPBOARD VIBRATION MOUNT FOR COPIER/PRINTERS which is incorporated herein by reference to the extent necessary to practice the present invention.
1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a frame for mounting a machine or other apparatus to a floor of a building or a ship, and more particularly, to a composite shock mount frame for mounting a copier/printer to a building floor or onboard a ship.
2. Description of the prior art
Along with the need to make copies of documents onboard ships came the problem of how to mount the copy making product so as to make producing copies feasible. Unstable copy making products produced unacceptable copy and an unacceptable amount of downtime of the copy making products due to shock with parts being shaken loose and broken, as well as, misregistration of images on copy sheets. Repairpersons have to go through time consuming, costly and difficult procedures in moving the copy making products to gain access to parts thereof that need servicing and then replacing the copy making product in their original position. In addition, there are times when building shake or vibrate in some parts of the United States more than others due to earthquakes, moving traffic, etc. An answer to these problems included shock mounting the copy making products to the ship.
One of the first designs for shock mounting a copier to a ship included permanently attaching the copier to mounts that were welded to the ships deck. If service were needed the copier was either repaired in place (sometimes in very tight quarters) or the machine was taken off the mounts, which could take up to half an hour or more.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,313 a shock mounting assembly is shown for attaching a copier/printer to mounts aboard a Naval vessel. The apparatus includes two steel supporting members attached to the base of the copier/printer that are easily and quickly screwed into two nonparallel shock mount frames with four jack screws to raise the copier/printer off its casters and restrain it in a fixed position. The four jack screws make detachment from the shock mount assembly a simple and time efficient process for repairpersons.
Another design used incorporated a "C" type frame that allowed the machine to be inserted into the frame, attached to the frame, and then the assembly moved and jacked into position. This design required that the machine be attached to a permanent frame before placing into position. Also, the frame configuration prevented machine placement in tight quarters otherwise the frame would not clear the welded deck mounts if moved into position and no side movement allowed
Other designs incorporate a heavy wound spring inside a woven steel sleeve. This is laid out on its side and the machine is permanently attached to the spring. (similar to a slinky laying on its side) Again, the machine is either serviced in place or removed, involving time and energy to remove and replace back onto the mount.